a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mechanism for displacing structurally related component parts of a larger assembly of parts. The component parts are hinged together so that the displacement produced by the mechanism is pivotal. In the art, this type of displacement is referred to as "folding" of the component parts.
In particular, the component parts are major parts of an aircraft, such as the fuselage, wings or rotor blades (in the case of helicopters). In fact the invention was developed for use in folding the fuselage of a helicopter and the preferred embodiment described below is directed specifically to helicopters.
b. General Discussion and consideration of the Prior Art
The problem of storage capacity for both military and commercial aircraft of all types is well known. Generally, aircraft designers have solved this problem by providing the aircraft with the capability of relative displacement (folding) of certain of its parts; for example, the relative displacement of wings, fuselages and rotor blades. The following list of U.S. patents are exemplary of some of the solutions which exist in the prior art: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,823,554; 3,043,410; 3,133,715; 3,153,521; and 3,750,982. All of these patents disclose a mechanism of one form or another which is utilized to effect the desired folding of the aircraft component.
It is the mechanism for effecting the desired folding which is the starting point of this invention. I have found all of the mechanisms with which I am familiar to be inadequate because they either require manual unlocking or an actuator for unlocking the mechanism first and an additional actuator for producing the folding or relative displacement thereafter. The Pearson U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,410 is a good example of a mechanism requiring an actuator to first unlock the mechanism. See in particular column 3, lines 15-42.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have a mechanism for folding major aircraft components which does not require manual or the use of separate actuators to first unlock the component parts and thereafter fold the component parts. It would also be desirable to have a mechanism for folding major aircraft components which is automatic in the sense that the locking and unlocking and folding is achieved in a continuous operation.